iconoclasm
UK[aɪˈkɒnəklæzəm]US[aɪˈkɑːnəklæzəm]
n
The action of attacking or rejecting cherished beliefs, institutions, or established values as being based on error or superstition.
n
The rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical.
Morpheme Breakdown
icon
o
clasm
icon
image
o
connective
clasm
breaking
Etymology
The term 'iconoclasm' has a vivid and literal origin in the religious conflicts of the Byzantine Empire. It is constructed from Greek elements: 'eikōn' (image, likeness) and 'klan' (to break), literally meaning 'image-breaking'. Historically, it referred specifically to the movement that opposed the veneration of religious icons, leading to their physical destruction. Over centuries, the term's meaning broadened metaphorically. It now describes any vehement attack on or rejection of widely accepted and deeply held beliefs, institutions, or conventions, transferring the concept of breaking physical idols to the dismantling of figurative ones.
Analysis
Structure: icon (image) + o (connective) + clasm (breaking)
- icon: From Greek 'eikōn', meaning 'likeness, image, portrait'. In this word, it functions as the base, representing the object (images or cherished beliefs) that is attacked.
- o: A connecting vowel (interfix) typical in Greek-derived compounds, serving a phonological role to join the two root elements.
- clasm: From Greek 'klasma', meaning 'fragment', derived from the verb 'klan', meaning 'to break'. It functions as the second root, indicating the action of breaking or destroying.
Examples
His radical critique of the education system was seen as an act of intellectual iconoclasm.
The artist's work is celebrated for its creative iconoclasm, challenging traditional artistic norms.
The period of iconoclasm in the 8th century led to the widespread destruction of religious artworks.